Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- From cutting crime, to enhancing education, lots of ground is covered when it comes to the future of the city of Syracuse. Mayor Stephanie Miner laid out her visions during her State of the City address at Dr. Weeks Elementary School on Thursday.
Mayor Miner wants to create a registry for vacant properties where owners would have to file a report each year with plans on how to rehab or demolish the property.
When it comes to education, Miner wants to start phase two of a school reconstruction project to help our students.
And, one of her top priorities is to cut down on crime. Miner is seeking new police cameras to help patrol the streets.
The largest looming issue is the budget.
The mayor says the city has millions of dollars in surplus, but still faces a budget gap of more than $20-million, so she’s looking at options to close that gap.
The mayor says it's too early to know what will be cut in the budget. The bottom line: Mayor Miner is determined to peel back spending somewhere.
Below are highlights from the Mayor’s State of the City address:
**Courtesy of the City of Syracuse**
Vacant Property Registry
Building off the success of the Greater Syracuse Property Development Corporation (Land Bank), the City of Syracuse will aim to target properties vacant but not tax delinquent. This registry will require owners to register vacant properties with the city and develop a plan for sale or rehabilitation or pay an increasing fee for each year a property is on the list.
JSCB Phase II
Speaking from the Cafeteria of the Dr. Edwin E. Weeks Elementary School, Mayor Miner showcased firsthand the change seen at several schools across the City of Syracuse. She announced State Senator John A. DeFrancisco and Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli will introduce legislation authorizing the city to begin a bond issue and planning for the second phase targeting new schools.
2012 Construction Permit Value Total
In highlighting the major work being done in Downtown and across the city, the Mayor unveiled the final 2012 value of construction for which permits were issued in 2012. The amount, $329,559,851, is the highest year on record and is over $80 million higher than 2011 alone.
City Facilities Inventory and Cost Assessment
After realizing there was no accurate inventory for city properties, the Mayor created the new position of Director of Facilities Management to begin inventorying city buildings. In her address, the Mayor released the total count of city properties: 284. City staff will partner with County leadership to complete this inventory.
Pawn Shops
The City of Syracuse passed an ordinance last year requiring pawn shops to keep more detailed records of who sells merchandise at their stores. As a result, some pawn shops moved just blocks outside the city to avoid this reporting requirement. The city will now work with the county to ensure the same reporting requirement is in place county-wide to deter criminal sales.
Surplus
Since taking office, Mayor Miner has made a sound fiscal management a central priority of her administration. As a result of shared sacrifice and that leadership, the Mayor announced the 2012-2013 budget year will conclude with a surplus of $8 million.
